Tag Archives: growth

It’s Monday 5:50 am and my alarm is going off, sleepy I roll over and hit snooze for another ten minutes. I just went to sleep a few hours ago if that, because I was waitressing the night before. My class starts at 9:00 and since I live in New Jersey that means I have to take the 7:17 to New York Penn Station. It’s now 6:25 I didn’t hear my alarm go off for the 12th time and my mom is running in my room “Kailee get up! You slept to late again!” So I quickly get up rummage through my closet and find a cute outfit to start my week off right. I then go over to my dresser and put on my makeup and throw my hair up. Gathering my things it’s now 7:00 my train leaves in 17 minutes. I go outside to turn on my bright orange beetle to warm up because today its only 7 degrees out. I quickly go back inside grab my things, make some organic flaxseed oatmeal with blueberries, grab the little snack bag of fruits and veggies my mom packed for me and finally I am off.

Turning left onto broad street I am trying to find a good radio station to listen to a good song on the short car ride. Nothings on the radio as usual because its 7am and everyone’s having a talk show. I finally reach the light before the train station and some kid cuts me off almost every morning because the high school is only a few blocks away. I pull into the parking spot at the train station, check the number on the spot and run to pay its 7:14 I only have a few minutes left until my train arrives. After paying I am running to get onto my train that just arrived.

Walking each car carefully looking for a sit that is empty so I can sit and read in peace. I sit down in the same car everyday. The man collecting the tickets gets to my seat his name is Jim. Jim sees me all the time, has seen me since I first started FIT, when I went on my first interview, has seen me crying, happy , just about all emotions I have had for the past 3 years. He says hello to me I wish him good morning as he checks my monthly pass. I then reach for my oatmeal and start eating slowly while admiring the view out the window. This morning I dosed off shortly after, I wake up and we are at New York Penn station. Its 8:43 and I am now running up the stairs by the LIRR , while putting my scarf and gloves on. I get outside and put my head down and walk quickly from 34th to 27th, it feels like the longest walk of my life in the cold and wind.

I get to FIT and the security guard greets me in the D building lobby while I show him my ID. I go through to the B building and go down to the basement for my French class. Few lecture hours and a break later ,I am heading back home. By this point my brain and body are exhausted, Monday’s are always the longest since I work the night before and then work again once I get home. I get home it’s now 1:45 I have to be at work by 4:00. I sit down for a few minutes, eat a quick snack, start some homework and then its time to get changed for work.

It’s 3:55 as I am walking into the building, I am always a few minutes early. Monday’s are kids night so its usually pretty busy. Before I know it, its 9:00 time to go home, I quickly finish my side work so I can go home. Its been a pretty long day its now 11:10 and I am finally getting ready for bed. A few hours from now I will be waking up to do it all over again.

What’s a day in your life? Are you a commuter student? Do you live at school? I would love to know

They say that college/university is supposed to be the best 4 years of your life. It’s a chance to be free from home yet still taken care of by your guardians. I think to set yourself up to make something the best 4 years of your life is setting yourself up to have fake fun for the sake of the fear of missing out. I know that university won’t be the best 4 years of my life because I dedicate myself 2000% to my education and my future career to ensure that I will have a stable career and a certain lifestyle post-graduation. I see the front desk people of the gym more than I see my friends. I couldn’t tell you the last time that I explored New York, but these are all my choices. But planning and trying to make 4 years the best 4 years of your life puts a lot of pressure on you. You’re allowed to do what you want to do, but don’t feel forced by the social norms of college. There isn’t a college checklist or bucket list of things or events or milestones that you must accomplish by graduation. Dedicate yourself to you and not what you think your high school classmates expect you to post on Instagram. Live for you and make your FIT college experience your own experience. Write your own stories.

Tomorrow marks a new moon. For those into astrology, you know that a new moon marks the time for new energies, ideas and concepts to come into fruition. Tomorrow is also the beginning of the Chinese New Years (yay, it’s in sheep/ram, shoutout to all the Aries such as I.)

Even if you aren’t a believer in astrology, this time marks the perfect time to check the year’s progress. I know many folks made resolutions at the beginning of the year and now that we’re a month and a half, it’s a good time to take stock of what you/ haven’t and realign your goals.

Go rams!

So far, with my new schedule changes, I’ve realized that I have to make a few lifestyle changes to make. I must focus more from Monday-Wednesday to complete all of my work because by Thursday night (my twelve hour day) I am exhausted. And during my weekend, I don’t want to work at it.

I am also reviewing my five year plan I created. (I have a lot of older friends who do grown up things such as this, and I thought it was a good idea.) A five year plan is exactly what it sounds like, a plan or list of goals for the next five years, the sections of the plan can be divided however you like, by career, family and social goals, etc., essentially whatever you value. I also like to break my plan into separate years, six months and even three months. I then review it and color code by things I’ve accomplished, things I’m working on and things that I’m no longer interested in.

Five Year plans are great because you can keep the various drafts of them to see your progress. they can also show what was important to you and how you and your goals have evolved over time. So, what about you? Any new (or refreshing of goals) during the start of Chinese New Year or for the New Moon? If so, we want to hear about it!

If you would have asked me what I wanted to do with my life this time last year, I would have told that you I was going to be a beauty photographer shooting ad campaigns for Sephora, Urban Decay, and Chanel. Today if you were to ask me, I would say that I want to be a photo editor on the digital aspect of a magazine (the .com/social media portion) and a group fitness instructor. It’s amazing how much changes over a year. While my life did not change all that much, I am different person compared to freshman year me. I am more responsible, passionate, confident in myself as a person and an artist. I didn’t give up on my dream, my dream just changed a little bit. I am still in the photography realm of everything, but my outcome and how I picture my life upon graduation and 10 years plus has changed.

It is important especially in college, and a college like FIT to continue to keep an open mind and to know that it is okay to change your mind. While it can be difficult to completely switch gears at FIT, imagine yourself out of college and try to imagine what you want to be doing regardless of your declared major. Go after your passions and take control of what you love. Don’t let anyone stop you.

Hi everyone! how was your first day back? I know mine was cut short and I had a very long commute home. On the way home though on the slow moving train I had a lot of down time.

Something about beginning your twenties and beginning a new chapter in your life becomes a little sentimental. You all know what I’m talking about everyone goes through the motions. You thought you had a plan and now you don’t know if your making the right decisions or your experiencing things that are incredibly more difficult then usual. You suddenly have ten years ahead of you that are jam packed with major life changing events. But its hard knowing what you want these next ten years to be like, but you often can’t settle with just simply not knowing. As you continue on through your next life stages you will start to realize things about life that will make your journey easier .

#1. You will Fail at something more than once, even the things you love.

At some point you will screw up your life like crazy, like really mess it up to a point you didn’t know was even possible. It will happen more then once in your lifetime too trust me. You are going to want to give up, you are going to want to be alone, or be with friends. But KEEP GOING I promise you it is worth it. This past semester I had one of those royal screw ups , not because I wanted to but because of life changing events that kept happening to me. I chose my emotions over the things I have worked so hard for, but I got through it and I am stronger then ever.

#2. How important is it to move away from home? Extremely

Lately I know a lot of friends that have been getting into it with there parents, whom all of which live at home and are in there twenties. Moving away will help this problem dissolve , it will make you realize what home actually means to you. You start to appreciate the little things and you the things that make you cringe go away. It helps you figure out who you are, how much you can take and how you will handle your life from this moment on.

#3. Debt? Your in college sweetie ( Haha)

Yes, everyone thinks they are in debt because they are in college. But are you making a mess of your credit score? do you have any money left in your account? If you have money to spare and your not in crazy debt take my advice. Travel, invest , learn something you always wanted to. I know for me I’d much rather live a life of debt if it was one I was proud of. If I did the things I always dreamed of, rather then be in debt and have no cool stories to tell. These experiences will change your life.

#5.What do you like? What don’t you like?

I know for me I landed my dream job , which I was working hard at everyday to realize it wasn’t what I wanted. Test things out before committing to it for life. You will try new food in your life, change your favorite drink or flowers a million and one times . This is what makes your twenties , you need to learn who you are , what you love and what you hate more then anything in this world. Let go of what others think and be you! You will realize nothing else matters if your not truly happy.

Lastly #6. Learn who is really there for you

Man did I have trouble over this past year with this. At this point in your life so much stuff changes you go to college, you graduate, move, different jobs, have kids (maybe) the normal things people do. Sometimes your friends from high school will not continue to follow you through the motions of life , and that is really hard to be ok with sometimes. But you will make so many new friends, join new circles and start networking. It’s kinda like that movie bridesmaids, yes we’ve all seen it , if you haven’t watch it you’ll love it. She gets all of her bridesmaids together some old and some new and they don’t clash. Her maid of honor feels like she’s changed because of the new people she’s around but that’s not the case she just found more things she enjoys. People will come and go through your life, just remember you can’t force anyone to stay nor would you want them to if you have to force them.

Being in college and a new stage of your life is difficult but don’t ever think your alone. Millions of people your age are feeling this way, most just don’t talk about it. Or they haven’t faced that one really bad screw up moment yet, once you do you’ll know what it feels like.

How is everyone feeling tonight on this snowy evening? Any new life changes?

I am entering my sixth semester at FIT. I was originally Fashion Merchandising Management, which I got my AAS in, and then I switched into Art History and Museum Professions for my Bachelors of Science degree. I actually did not know that FIT had this major until the middle of my freshman year. I knew coming here that they had an art history minor, so I thought that I would want to do that, but when I found out there was a Bachelors major for it I chose that instead since I fell in love with the classes.

I had to take some art history classes in FMM for my liberal arts requirements and I just fell in love with them. I realized pretty quickly that I didn’t want to stay in FMM for all four years, so when I found out that there was an Art History major, I decided to switch into it. I really like that it’s a combination of art history classes and business classes, teaching us the ins and outs of museums. I also like that the classes are more focused on writing, which is something I missed in my FMM classes. Art History and Museum Professions really teaches us both about art history in a variety of concentrations and how museums run. Many of our classes involve the history and purpose of museums as well as the administrative and business aspects of museum management.

Right now, I’m not completely sure what I want to do for my career in the end, but I really like the idea of doing special events or development in a museum. The degree is non-curatorial, but it prepares us for other departments within museums, like PR, development, education, special events, etc.

This past summer, I interned for ArtsWestchester, a small non-profit organization in White Plains, NY that runs programs and events to promote arts throughout Westchester County. I worked in the Development department as a Special Events/Fundraising intern, so I worked on planning an auction and gala to raise money for the organization.

It’s a difficult decision, but I think the most interesting classes I have taken are “Modern Art” and “History and Meaning of Museum”. I learned so much from them about art history in general as well as how much art and museums depend on culture and vice versa.

I think the most valuable thing I’ve learned at FIT is that it’s okay to not know exactly what you want right away. I came here thinking I would work in fashion, but when I didn’t love FMM as much as I thought I would, it was nice to know that I could switch my major to something I really wanted to learn more about, and it’s not wrong to want a change.

Find out more about the Art History and Museum Professions major (BS) here!

As a follow up to my most recent post I have a few exploratory works that may assist you in the your winter time of self discovery.

The following books are on the more metaphysical side, which is perfect since you will have the plenty of time to mull them over once the snow begins to pour down upon us. To align with the idea of looking back, we can use these creations to help us shape our future.

This is the version I purchased

Tao Te Ching
I’ve read and caught glimpses of the Tao Te Ching but it wasn’t until this semester that I’ve read this holy text in it’s entirety. The Tao Te Ching is the primary text used by Taoists. I don’t use the Tao Te Ching for religious reasons, but as a guide and reminder as how to move through life. In the simplest terms, its simply to exist in the middle, displaying balance during the most ecstatic and the most challenging time times of life.

Here are a few chapters from the Tao Te Ching:

Chapter 9:

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security
and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.
The only path to serenity.

Chapter 19:
Throw away holiness and wisdom,
and people will be a hundred times happier.
Throw away morality and justice,
and people will do the right thing.
Throw away industry and profit,
and there won’t be any thieves.

If these three aren’t enough,
just stay at the center of the circle
and let all things take their course.

The Untethered Soul

This is one of my cherished books. It was gifted to me from a really important mentor in my life, (which if you don’t know have a mentor, not just a career oriented one, but also people who support your growth in other ways, be open to getting one).
This book is about moving outside of your immediate self and living life as if “there were a knife suspended above your head.” Because essentially, there is. Reading this book has the same of impact of having a near death experience, without the melodramatics, you end up with the same feeling of wanting to live your life to its fullest capacity.

I hope these tools gets you started on your quest for inner serenity once the weather becomes absolutely crazy. If you can find peace during New York winters, you might be the next Dali Lama.

Recently, I saw a comment asking us to talk more about what student life is like at FIT. And I had to stop and think about it before I could come to a clear realization about life here. We are not like any other school in the country. Many larger, more traditional colleges will proclaim their student life “highlights” in brochures or on Admitted Students day, but we aren’t a traditional school. We don’t have a football team that everyone goes and watches on the weekends, or huge theatrical events that involve hundreds of people.

At FIT student life is what you make it. There are many amazing events on campus, which I think a lot of my fellow bloggers have talked about extensively (see Brendon’s post Girl Code @ FIT or Kailee’s post about No Impact Week at FIT), but really all of New York City is an extension of our campus. While there are a lot of posts about what is going on at the school, there are also plenty about things we have done outside of school, for instance Aya’s post about NYFOL or Ashley’s Guide to NYC Talk Show Tickets. Being part of the crossroads of the world is a huge opportunity and advantage of going to school here.

Honestly, no matter what you apply it to, life is what you make of it. So if you are someone who loves getting involved with your peers there are a multitude of ways to be involved in school events. However, if you are someone who likes to do stuff more on your own, or with friends outside of school, there is obviously more than enough to experience in the city. My only advice would be not to get too caught up in school work. Yes, it is important and the reason you are here, but being a successful and well rounded person requires getting out there and meeting people, whether that be through a school club or at a concert.

That being said, I think we all will be conscious of trying to show more of what student life at FIT is like if that is what people are interested in. And if you have any other questions or topics you would like to hear more about leave them in the comments!

At FIT, students are constantly updating, tweeting, instagramming, and blogging to build their social media presence. Among the hundreds of social media sites, Instagram appears to reign as one of the best. Even the departments at FIT have their own instagram accounts to keep everyone updated on events, what’s happening in the offices, and to ensure that you don’t have any FOMO (Fear of Missing out). If you want to stay in the loop here are the top instagrams to follow here at FIT:

Fashion Institute of Technology: @fitnyc
This is an obvious one. They instagram everything from events to contests, and my favorite, the throwback pictures of the students and campus from the 80’s.

Student Life: @studentlife_fitIf you don’t want FOMO, this is the instagram to follow. Paired with the weekly “This Week at FIT” emails, you won’t be out of the loop with fun events happening every week.

Res Life: @fitreslifeThis one is great to follow if you are in the dorms. There are always events and contests going on in the residential halls, that you don’t want to miss.

PRSSA at FIT: @FIT_PRSSAFIT PRSSA is the Public Relations Student Society of America at FIT. Their motto is “Everything you do and say is public relations.” Follow their instagram for info and events on how to best market yourself. They are one of the wonderful clubs here at FIT! If you want to join, email them at PRSSA_club@fitnyc.edu for more info.

Style Shop at FIT: @The_StyleShopThe Style Shop is the student-run boutique in the lobby of the Dubinsky Student Center. I truly believe it is one of the best assets of FIT. Whether it be the student/faculty made apparel and jewelry to the quaint shop and decorations, The Style Shop is FIT’s gem.

If I have learned anything from my experiences working, I know that the two things that are most important for any job are good writing and speaking skills. Yet, no one is born a talented speaker or writer (I don’t know if you know this, but babies literally cannot speak or write!)

Fear not! If you feel that your skills are not up to par there is help available! The Writing Studio (located in Feldman Center Room 612) provides a collaborative process to enhance each student’s abilities and personal voice, not just edit papers. Although there are some professional tutors on staff, most of us are also students that have been carefully evaluated and selected. I say “us” because I am a tutor at the writing center!

I think the fact that it is peer tutoring is actually very helpful. We can relate to you about stress, school work, life at FIT and probably answer most of your questions about anything, not just writing. We also have insight into some of your classes, teachers and experiences here.

Brian Fallon, Director of the Writing Center

It is easy to make an appointment (you can also do a walk-in, but if we are booked we have to honor our scheduled appointments first). Just log in with your FIT username and password, go to the day and time you want to meet, and fill out the form that pops up. (Be sure to check everything especially the time. It automatically makes the time for 15 minutes so if you want more you will have to change the drop down box)

We help with brainstorming ideas, organizing papers, helping plan research, and even with personal writing and resumes. Often, we work with ESL (English as a Second Language) students who are not used to writing papers in English.

Some tutors also provide the option of online tutoring, which can be helpful for commuting students. If you want a little guidance but cannot make it into the writing center be sure to check out the writing guides we provide.

Or you can come in and say hi to me! Either way, you get all this for the low, low price of…free!